SCVH is introducing non-surgical neutering as an option after inquiries from some clients, and as an alternative for sterilizing your male dog. Especially after the early 2013 article associating early age castration with increased risks of some cancers and ACL tears in male Golden Retrievers, this is an option that some owners may wish to pursue for their pet. There are always pros and cons for any method of neutering (or not neutering) your dog, and there are differences in outcomes for either procedure. Recommendations may vary from pet to pet, and coming up with an individualized plan for a specific dog is our goal. I have been neutering male dogs surgically for 26 years. I am obviously comfortable with the procedure, as well as the anesthesia and methods to make surgery as safe as medically possible. But the field of medicine is a constantly evolving landscape, and some things that we used to take a gospel truth--medically---may not be as clear cut as previously thought. This procedure is an option, one that should be discussed with your vet regarding why to possibly consider it. The linked article by Dr. Khuly simplifies some of the potential benefits/comparisons of this procedure vs surgical castration. Non-surgical castration is not for every pet. For one, it is only for use in pups aged 3-10 months, with 2 descended testicles. The procedure renders the pet sterile, and reduces testosterone by about 50%. For some pets, a 50% reduction in hormones is perfect, and may keep your pet leaner with less risk of certain health problems. But, if your pet is a marker or testosterone aggressive, it may not curb that as well. It will not prevent testicular tumors (which obviously, cant happen in dogs with standard surgical castration...). But, testicular tumors (most of them) can be cured via surgical neutering, if they happen. Not so easy with lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mast cell cancer, 3 cancers found with higher incidence in neutered males. Our plan is to do non-surgical neutering with sedation (not anesthesia), and anti-inflammatory pain medicine ( no one can tell me that a pet would hold still for a shot in that part of the anatomy...). We have completed the CE part of the certification process, and now to complete our certification, we need to castrate a number of pets under the tutelage of Ark Industries, the parent company. Our Zeuterin clinic is planned for next week, but we need a few more male dogs that fit the criteria in order to have enough numbers. If you would be interested in having your young male dog non-surgically altered in this low cost clinic, please call our office this week to reserve a spot. We are limiting the number to no more than 10 dogs. Local shelters are invited to participate at no cost for their dogs awaiting adoption.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 03:42:04 +0000
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